EVIDENCE OF TRANSALKYLATION DURING LIQUID-PHASE ISOPROPYLATION OF NAPHTHALENE

The alkylation of naphthalene with isopropanol was investigated over a HY (Si/Al = 4) zeolite under the following conditions: now reactor, l iquid phase with decalin as solvent, 623 K, 40 bar. Despite complete f illing of the zeolite pores by coke during the first hour of reaction, the rate of formation of isopropylnaphthalene remained very high. Thi s is due to the development of a new reaction process involving transa lkylation between the polyisopropyl naphthalenes entrapped in the pore s and naphthalene followed by the realkylation of the former compounds with isopropanol.